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Dali Ikon 2 review

No, it doesn’t melt – nor does it have odd facial hair. This Dali makes speakers that paint a sonic picture. Sorry...

from £549.00

15 November 2006/6:00GMT

Question: when is one tweeter not enough? Answer: when you’re called Dali, and want to produce a mid-priced speaker that will blitz the competition.

The Ikon 2s don’t quite manage to flatten everything in this sector, but they do set a sky-high standard for speakers at this price point.

Speakers can be fun, you know

These are fun speakers of a high order, playing everything with great skill. As with most of Dali’s recent efforts, the dynamics in particular are given free rein, so crescendos are delivered with plenty of verve and power.

Timing is crisp enough to satisfy, and detail levels are pleasing indeed.

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That twinned-tweeter arrangement works well. The pairing of conventional soft-dome and ribbon keeps dispersion wide – so toe-in isn’t critical with these speakers – and they also ensure a truly extended top end.

True, there’s a touch of excess brilliance at very high frequencies, but this isn’t enough to spoil the fun, and only becomes evident if you use aggressive partnering kit or overly bright recordings.

Not for bass-heads

Despite being low-priced in comparison to products we’d consider their rivals, the Ikon 2s are also pretty big. The extra inches result in a sound of impressive scale, though, oddly enough, not the most powerful bass.

The Dalis deal in low-end agility as opposed to sheer air-moving muscle, so if you like to both hear and feel your bass, some rivals will serve you better.

Big speakers, big sound

The Ikon 2s aren’t particularly fussy about positioning, though a free-space siting helps to make the most of the Dali’s expansive stereo imaging. And of course, having a decent amount of space – say, 30cm – between your speakers and any nearby wall will also help to keep the tonal balance even.

They’ll also benefit from a good, solid pair of speaker stands: Partington Super Dreadnoughts (£169) or the similarly priced Kudos S50s will work well.

Stuff says...

Dali Ikon 2 review

Take a little care and the Ikon’s can’t fail to please. Spend more money and greater rewards are available, but these are fine speakers.